Ventricular assist devices, or VADs, are lifesaving mechanical circulatory support devices, or MCSDs, configured to assist the heart in pumping blood throughout the body. VADs may include centrifugal pumps, axial pumps, or other kinds electromagnetic pumps configured to pump blood from the heart to blood vessels to circulate around the body. One such centrifugal pump is the HVAD sold by HeartWare, Inc. and is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,997,854 the entirety of which is incorporated by reference. One such axial pump is the MVAD sold by HeartWare, Inc. and is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,419,609 the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Detecting patient adverse events associated with the implantation of VADs is challenging owing to the fact that patients requiring such devices often have different cardiac pathology that necessitated the implantation of the VAD within the patient. One solution devised is to implant sensors into or onto the VAD to detect operating parameters of the blood pump. Implanting sensors within or onto VADS, however, requires sensor calibration, are subject to potential failure from corrosion or other events, and increases the power necessary to operate the VAD.